Fishing-reel.



G. W. UPTON.

FISHING REEL.

APPucATmN man MAY1.1914.

1212.223. 'Patented 1an. 16,191?.

GEORGE W. UPTON, F WARREN, OHIO.

I FISHING-REEL.

, To all whom @ft-may concern.'

` Be it known that I, GEORGE W. UPTON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residin at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and tate of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fishing- Reels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of shing reels,called level,

winding or self-spooling reels, in which provision is made forautomatically distributing or laying a fishing line on the spool of thereel, more or less evenly, as it is being wound in and onto said spool,by mechanisms connected with the manually operated crank of the reel andthel gears rotated thereby. In such reels one or more double threadedshafts extend in front of the spool and between the side plates of thereel,`and are ordinarily rotated by transmission gears connected withthe gear wheel of the reel; and a member movable along said shaft andbearing a looselymounted pin which, traveling in the troughs betweensaid double threads, carries said member back and forth with regularityfrom side to side-of the reel. It is common practice to form the top ofsaid member in the shape of a ring through which the line passes fromthe spool of the reel to the first guide of the rod to which the reelhas been attached; or to use, instead of a ring, a pair of parallelwires extending perpendicularly to said threaded shafts, between whichwires the line passes from the spool to said rst guide. lnthat way, assaid member is moved from side to side as the line is winding in, thesides of the ring, or the parallel wires acting alternately guide theline to and fro on said spool. ln casting a bait to long distances, theline chafes on the inner sides'of said ringl or of said parallel wires,thereby frictionally refk tarding the length of the cast "and alsoquickly wearing out the line and the ring or wires because of thenearness of the contact to the spool of the reel. y

The objects of my invention are, first, to

do away with the use of either'such a ring or'.

set of parallel wires; second, to'permit the line to fly freely anduntouched between the spool and the'flrst guide-of the rod while thebait is going out; third, to save the manufacturing cost of said ring orsaid wires and their attendant supports, retainers and guides, etc.;fourth, to prevent friction and Specification of Letters Patent.

point of Patented Jan. 16, 1191*?.

y Application led May 7, 1914-. Serial No. 837,097.

l shall clearly describe and specify, to vdispense with the exceedinglyrapid movements of said member, said double threaded shaft and theiroperating mechanisms as the bait swiftly moves away, thereby greatlyprolonging the life and usefulness of said parts, and sixth, to providemeans-for mechanically and automatically laying, or spooling the line onthe spool of the reel again, after the cast, as the line is wound in. lattain those objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a reel in perspective, attached to arod handle (broken away) and with my invention attached. Fig. 2 is afront view 0f the same. Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the same in partbroken away and partly in section. Fig. 4f illustrates certain detailsmore or less enlarged. Fig. 5 shows a form of my invention for use onlarge reels which afford more room for it. Fig. 6 shows the mo-st simpleform for use on the cheapest Areel. Figs. 7 and 8 show modifications.

' Similar characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

On a rod handle 5, the cross plate 6 of a reel 7 is firmly attached.-Onthe spool 8 the line 9 is'wound; its outer end having been carriedyforward through kline guides (not shown) attached to the rod. Pillars10, 10

connect the side plates of the reel, of which one is designated'as thehead-plate, 411, and the other as the tail-plate, 12; and a doublethreaded shaft 14 parallel to said pillars and` Y journaied into saidside plates, 11 and 12, passes through thev head plate 11., under thecap 15, where it is provided with a gear wheel or other mechanism toymesh with or be rotated by the gear of the reel when the crank 16 isturned for the purpose of rotat- 'l in some reels l locate another rody18 whose ends are elevated lslightly where they joinV lthe head andvtail-plate 11 and 12. Therods 17 and 18 can be made .as one rodcorresponding in shape to both as shown,'or the rod 18 can be omittedand slightly elevated ends of the rod 17 may be provided to serve thepurpose which will be clearly set forth ico below. A plate or piece ofy,Sheet metal may be used as well.

A line carrier 19 is perforated horizontally and is sleeved loosely at20 on the threaded shaft 14 and is of a width approximately double thatof the unthreaded metal left at each end of the shaft 14, whichcorresponds in length to the width of the flared portions of the flangesof the spool; sol that the line when spooled vwill be carried evenly upto the peripheries of the spool flanges and the carrier 19 will-traveluntil its sides will, alternately, just contact (and not more) with theinner faces of the plates 11 and 12 before starting to reverse orreturn.

The carrier 19 may preferably be sup ported (though it need not be ofnecessity) in any way at its bottom and in Fig. 4 (C) I have illustrateda simple and convenient way in which a semi-cylindrical groove 21,extending laterally, half-sleeves on the top of one of the pillarsmarked 10', (or on any rod especially positioned to receive it). I

`insert a loosely swiveled thread-traveler, 22,

. in a bore in the carrier 19 and retain it there adjustably in athreaded jacket 23, by a screw 24, Fig. 4 (B). The upper part of thecarrier19 above the threaded'shaft 14, I curve slightly to correspondwith the shape .of the reel, and terminate its extremity in two prongs25, 25', which may be of any shape, but which I show as curved downwardto form rear edges 26, which will travel close to the rod 17 and, whenused alone with it', should be slightly lower than its top surface inorder that the line which is to passv over the top of the rod 17 willnot touch the rear of, or get under the prongs 25, 25. I make the tops27 of said prongs higher than the rod 17 so thatthe outer side of one orthe other of said prongs will be met by the line when it is stretchedfrom the top of the rod 17 to the irst guide of the fishing rod (notshown), depending upon which side of the carrier 19s the line latterwill carry it to the right (Fig. 1 or 2) has fallen on.l

The auxiliary rod 18, whether touching the rod 17 or located a littlehigher and near` it, aords an additional or precaur`tionary safe-guardagainst the entrance of the line, when loose, between the rear edges 26ofthe prongs 25, 25' and the rod 17 and under the carrier 19. r Insteadof the rod 18 one can form a longitudinally extending ear 27 (Fig. 4-d)on the top of the rod 17 or provide a rear vertical. wall 28 along theback of the rod 17 as shown in section at (E), Fig. 4. The use of therod 17, as shown, or in any modiied form, is a very important feature ofmy invention because, irrespective of other details,.the introduction ofsuch a horizontal guard (as rod y17 is) with its top higher than therear edges of carrier 19, or any other device of the kind or for a likepurpose, produces a positive retention .of the line 9, when taut (as inwinding it in or when holding a fish) above all entrance openings to thespace behind or under the carrier 19, no matter whether the spool isfull of coiled line or whether the axle of it only is covered, and sucha provision is entirely new in fishing reel construction either of theclass under consideration or of any class, kind or use. Wherefore, Iclaim such a rod, so located, in whatever form it may bemade or used, asbeing of my original and sole discovery and invention.

After a cast has been made and one starts to retrieve the bait, the line9 will fall and straighten out across the rod 17 and on one or the otherside of the carrier 19, outside of either prong 25 or prong 25 andbetween it and the head plate 11 or the tail plate 12, as shown by thefull line 9 or the broken line 9, Fig. 2, as at 91 or at 92,respectively.

If the line 9 crosses the rod 17 at 91,l winding it in will cause thecarrier, 19, to traverse the shaft 14 till the prong 25 strikes the line9, at 91. Whereupon-it will push it along till they both reach the headplate 11, normally; but I round the tops 27, (see Fig. 6) of said'prongs25, 25', making a gradual slope upward on their exterior faces while Ileave their interior faces flat at their tops and convex them slightlyat theirbottom to form an open receptacle of the shape of a loop 29,such a formation, as the; carrier moves over with the line on itsoutside, will cause the line to slide or climb up over the top 27 of theprong 25 and drop into said loop 29. Thereafter the line being betweensaid prongs will be carried to and fro across the spool of the reeluntil the winding ceases. When thenext cast'is made the line will flyout of the opening between the prongs and run out without the frictionring guides or directing wires would cause. If the line 9 (Fig. 2)crossesthe rod 17 at 92, on the other side of the carrier 19, the

until the elevated end of the rod 17 (or 18, if used) lifts it up sothat it goes over prong 25 andbetween the two prongs of the carrier,where it will remain until another cast is made.

Thus far I have described my invention in its most simple form asdiagrammatically/ illustrated in Fig. 6.

I desire it to be noted, also, that when the prongs 25, 25- are properlypositioned, shaped and exteriorly rounded, the incoming line 9 willslide over either of them and fall into the loop 29 when the carrierbrings it against theioutside of either prong and the loop 29 willretain it. Therefore it is not imperative to elevate the top of the rod17 (or 18 when' itis used) at its ends, but

p. 65 sequently with amazes from the handle than is usual, onY such rodsthe angle of the line from spool to guide being more obtuse, there isgreater possibility of the line passing clear over both prongs of thecarrier 19 instead of dropping into the loop 29. Wherefore 1 provide,for use when required, an extra element consisting of a tongue 30rockingly `attached on the front or carrier 19 near its top, as by ascrew 31, and having its lower end flat to hold it measurably erect andpointing backward over the loop 29, but with rounded corners to allow itto rock slightly to right or left so the line can push it over 3 5suiiciently to leave space between it and either prong for the line todrop down into. the loop 29. rllhe tongue being longer than either prongoperates with either to prevent the line going on over the second 2oone.

On large reels where more room can. be taken advantage of and especiallyon reels the flanges of whose spools are deeply bellshaped near theirperipheries, and for which 25 reason the line is not to be wound asclose to the side plates as on reels with more vertical spool flanges,there is room for lateral movement of the prongs, of the carrier 19.riherefore, for such reels the prongs illus- 3o trated in Fig. 5 maybeused, in which each i prong is swiveled, on pivots 25, 2 having fiattail ends 25', 25', which strike the outside edges of carrier 19 toretain them erect as to exterior movement, but the ormation allows theline when coming from either side to knock' down one prong and drop intothe loop 29, whereupon the sai first prong is restored to an erectposition either by the greater weight of its end 25 40 or by a spring25. I

Another simple arrangement of the prongs of the carrier 19 is shown inFig. 7 in which they are made of one iiat piece terminating intwo prongswith the loop.29 between them. rl`he whole piece can be dovetailed ontocarrier 19, as shown, and have a weak spring 32 to elevate it after theline has pushed it down by rubbing over one of the prongs, or a verticalslot operating with a screw 33 can be substituted for thedovetailretainer.

1n Fig. 8 1 show an equivalent of the last described modiiication, -inwhich the rongs, again made as one piece', are pivote at 34 andcarry alight weight 35 which erects them after the line has rocked them farenough to pass" over one prong and into the loop 29 and before it canhave passed over the second prong.

When a"free spool the one covered by the claims of my Patent No.820,326, in which,l when the bait is cast, the spool is thrown out ofmesh with the operating pinion, gear and handle, and conthe doublethreaded shaft l use with any and all reels so equipped.

passing over, a

reel is used such as 14, the latter does not revolve and the carrier,19, does not move; so that without this, my present invention, therewould be much friction of the line when going out since it would have topass through a ring or between wires,. perhaps located at one side ofthe reel while the major portion of the line, in that case, would pulloff from the remote end of the spool, were this improvement not used.

Although l have described and referred to reels which are constructedwith mechanical devices operated simultaneously with and by the turningof the handle of the reel, nevertheless there are several devices on themarket, and more will follow, by means of which, when they are attachedto or are used with other'reels than thosereferred to and not containingsaid mechanisms, one can direct the incoming line from side to side ofthe spool by operatingsaid device with the thumb or a finger of the handnot-engaged in turning the crank.

1t is apparent that my improvement consisting o the describedline-supporting rod or cross bar, with or without turned up ends, and mynovel, open ended, terminal or top end of the movable line carrier areequally applicable to s'uch devices and therefore to.

Wherefore l claim as being my invention:-

1. A line carrier for a fishing reel, adapted to travel from side toside in front of said reel, and having` prongs and an intermediate linereceiving space so formed as to permit one prong to pass under said linewhen it is being wound in, and prevent its second prong until the lineisv slackened, in combination with line elevating deflectors attached tothe said sides of said reel, for the purpose set forth.

2.. 1n a reel of thekind described, the combination of a complete. reelequipped with a mechanically rotated double threaded shaft at its frontand means Jfor distributing a fishing line when being wound on to thespool of said reel, consisting of a line carrier moved from side to sideof said reel by co- ]operation of one of its members with saidy shaft;with a line receiving end for said carrier comprising a plurality ofprongs spaced openly apart at their extremities; and a line supportingrod: extending acrosssaid reel between the side plates thereof, in frontof its spool; and so located that the inner edges of said rongs travelon a line below its top and a; jacent parts of said prongs protrudeabove it, for the purpose. set forth.

3.v The combination of a complete fishing reel of the class described;with a hori-A zontal rod permanently attached at its ends to the headand tail plates of the reel, ex-

tending across its front, and located high enough to receive and supporta fish line when drawn taut from the top of the spool of the reel to thefirst guide of a fishing rod, and low enough to rest belowy'the extremeupper parts of a line carrier positioned in front of it, as described.

4. The combination with a fishing reel having a carrier adapted to windaish line evenly on its Spool when operated, of a rod extending in frontof said spool and between the side plates of the reel and havingprotuberances at its extremities, adjacent to said plates, higher thanthe top line of said carrier, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a complete fishing reel; a shing rod, a guide onsaid rod; mechanism for driving al member from side to side in front ofthe spool oftsaid reel; a fishing line wound around said spool andpassed through said rod guide, withmeans attached to said member forreceiving and retaining said line when it is taut and apable ofimmediate release through a permanent opening therein when the line isslack, and a member extending from plate to plate of said reel,horizontally, between said spool and said member, above the line ofdeparture of said line from said spool when iilled to said rod guide,and below the highest part of said member, as set forth and described.

6. The combination of a shing reel attachable to a fishing rod and ashing line extending from said reel. to a line guide on said rod, meansfor distributing the line'on the spool of the reel when winding it in,consisting of a line carrier slidably attached to a rod extending fromthe head-plate to the tail-plate of said reel, and having an open topfor the free entrance and exit of said line, and prongs on said top;with a horizontal bar attached .at its ends to the side plates of saidreel-,'located between its spool and said carrier and slightly below thehighest points of said prongs, for the purpose set forth. r

7. A horizontal rod extending from the head-plate to the tail-plate of afishing reel and attached thereto, having elevations at its endsadjacent to said plates, and located so Athat its top will contact witha fishing line extending from the spool of said reel when properlyfilled with line, to a line guide on a fishing rod when used with saidreel, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. UPTON.

Witnesses:

T. J. Cos'mLLo, M. G. SULLIVAN.

